Tag Archives: discipline

Current status: everyone in my house is sleeping now, except for me. I was able to snag a short nap but was interrupted when my toddler realized that he was awake and I was asleep. I’m not terribly disappointed though, since I do have a bunch of writing to do this afternoon for various outlets.

Before I was a mom, I was convinced I couldn’t function without the full 8-10 hours. I never get 8-10 hours anymore, but I have noticed a few things that impact the quality of sleep I do get.

CALM-DOWN TIME

This is required about 20 minutes before I go to sleep. This is the time where I’m not actively “doing” something. This time is for reading a book, finishing up a movie, or talking to Peter. This is not the time for cleaning up, getting into a conversation on Facebook, or writing an article. My brain needs to wind down and get into “stop-doing” mode instead of thinking of what comes next.

A CLEAN KITCHEN

Earlier this week I was finishing up the dishes at 10pm. Peter asked why I didn’t leave them in the sink and do them in the morning, and I told him that I have noticed a direct correlation between the cleanliness of the kitchen and the amount of restful sleep I get. Having a clean kitchen means I can sleep more soundly, knowing that I don’t have to worry about waking up in time to clean it before I leave for work.

A TO-DO LIST

Writing down the key things to do the next day is a key piece to my sleep. Again, I can relieve my brain of its duty to remember important things the next day when I just write them down. My brain can relax.

DON’T DRINK COFFEE PAST 4PM

If I do, I can’t fall asleep. I will be physically tired but mentally alert. At best, this leads to fitful sleep.

These four disciplines have made a world of difference. I know that life will not always be this crazy. At some point in the future, I will be able to sleep again. Right now, in this season of work, toddler, and writing, my focus is on maximizing the quality of sleep that I do get.

And Sunday afternoon naps are the bomb.

Are you following along with this challenge? If you haven’t gotten your copy of Crystal Paine’s Makeover Your Evenings 14-day course, you can purchase it here.

When I was a teenager I wanted to get into better habits, so I signed up for daily Flylady emails. She had a two-minute list: what can I actually accomplish in just two minutes? The actual list is pretty staggering. Things don’t take as long as you think they might! Applying a five minute miracle outlook is much the same. I can accomplish quite a lot in five minutes!

There are plenty of five minute projects that, when practiced consistently, can either make your day or even your whole life better:

– do 50 squats/lunges/something similar

– drink another glass of water and take your supplements

– write a short blog post or outline of one, brainstorm other topics and write them down

– read a chapter of an ebook (I get them when they are free on Amazon. I have a library now of 100+ books to choose from when I have spare minutes!)

– do some simple yoga poses like sun salutation and peaceful warrior, focus on your breathing and just the moment in time

– make yourself a smoothie, hiding extra greens for better health and digestion (limit your clean up by making your smoothie in a NutriBullet or this DIY hack)

See how these could add up? As my son learns to walk, I’m learning the value of the phrase “baby steps.” Sometimes we will fall and that’s okay. When we get back up and keep going, we will meet our goals.